One

She turns one this Sunday. She cannot yet fully understand her connection to my sister. Someday she will. Not now.

For now she is just the little girl I see in all the pictures. The one with the amazing smile that seems to burst forth, the one that captures my attention and my imagination. She seems so happy in every image. I like to think it is, in small part, because of who her grandma was.

She was a miracle baby in so many ways. Her meaning to her parents, to our entire family, something impossible for words to adequately describe. She allowed us to breathe. She gave us a reason to face the day. She brought us joy and hope at a moment when those emotions were in very short supply.

Today she should only know of her favorite toy, of the foods she most enjoys. She should focus on the feeling of being held in the arms of her mother and father. On the matters that bring her that wondrous smile. There will be plenty of time for everything else.

On Sunday a little girl turns one. It makes my heart smile.